Photograph by: JONATHAN HAYWARD
, THE CANADIAN PRESS

VANCOUVER — B.C. Liberal Leader Christy Clark is defending her government's election assertion of a balanced budget and with a debt-free B.C on the horizon.

On Vancouver radio today, Clark agreed that many people may be skeptical about the claim of a balanced budget, including NDP Leader Adrian Dix.

But she says the bond rating agencies, such as Moody's and Standard and Poor's, are behind her government's claims that the budget is balanced.

Clark says those agencies don't hand out excellent credit ratings based on what it sees in the media, but based on its assessments of what's in the budget.

The premier told listeners on CKNW radio that once B.C. starts to balance its budget, then the province will have a chance to become debt free.

Clark says the rating agencies expressed concern that the province could go back to the financial mess of the 1990's with a change of government and noted two agencies say their outlooks could be revised downward if tax-supported debt continues to rise.